President of the Council of State Michalis Pikramenos expressed his concern over the degradation of public spaces during a discussion with Kathimerini’s editor-in-chief Alexis Papachelas at the forum “Environment & Construction: An Unequal Battle?” forum organized by the newspaper.
“The country’s problem is primarily social. The concept of public interest is almost non-existent. It is no accident that there are no sidewalks, that public spaces are minimal. There is an incredible attack on public space,” he said.
“The state is not just the prime minister and the ministers – we are all the state. There is individual responsibility and unfortunately we have forgotten that,” he added.
On environmental policy, he stressed the need for political consensus and long-term planning.
“Protecting the environment requires consensus within the political system. Governments should not overturn hard-won policies for electoral gain. The country is not a free-for-all. We have to do our job,” he said.
Pikramenos also addressed the evolving role of the judiciary, stressing the importance of transparency and communication.
“Judges in our era must speak; the notion that judges should only communicate through their decisions is no longer valid. We have an obligation to explain things,” he said.